Graduation
by Rie Sonomura
Summary: College/Modern AU (more details inside). Lymle Phi returns home from college to be greeted to a surprise party by her friends. A lot has changed...but a lot also hasn't. [FaiLym and Crowleyna. For Fluffuary 2020.]


**Guess who's back**

**back again **

**Rie's back**

**tell a friend**

**ok memes aside, here's some fluffuary STAR OCEAN STUFF. Yeah it's been 9 years since I wrote for anything Star Ocean. A lot has happened... bullied by some awful people, losing a friend in the fandom (he _hates _me now for sure), drifting from some others (I still miss you, Sarah... if you ever wanna reconnect I'm open), the fandom being pretty dead on DA, and... just a lot of stuff. But it was my first fandom on this account, and one that means a lot to me, so...  
**

**This here is a FaiLym (Faize x Lymle) and Crowleyna (Crowe x Eleyna) modern AU. And they're all aged up. EVEN LYMLE, SO YOU CAN'T CALL "PEDOPHILIA" OKAY. I'm sorry, this is the very thing I was harassed over, even though I only shipped it in the epilogue where they're both legal age. Just putting that out there right now. Lymle is 20, Faize is 23, Crowe is 26, and Eleyna is 30 in this fic. Edge/Reimi is mentioned but they're not physically present in this fic. Oh and this is a college AU. Well, technically post-college. You'll see what I mean.  
**

**Maybe someday I'll continue my Crowleyna longfic. I need to give that crap a SERIOUS glow up all the way tho, my writing in 2009 is sooooo much different than now lmao. Oh and here, Lymle speaks in a more mature manner and has more emotional inflections instead of sounding monotone, and no longer uses childish nicknames, but she still occasionally says "'Kay", just like in Lymle and Faize's ending. Also, Bacchus is human(oid). They're all technically still aliens save for those that are actually Earthlings, but there's nothing sci-fi about them is all. Just imagine them all wearing modern clothing I guess.  
**

**OH AND TEASES OF ARUMAT/SARAH TOO I GUESS. Mattie's 31, Sarah is 24, and Mattie never got that degenerative nervous system disease or whatever. (I don't remember what it was all too well.) And Amina's alive and friends with Lym, too.  
**

* * *

**_Graduation_**

"Keep your eyes closed, Lymle..." Eleyna Almedio-Farrence instructed Lymle Phi, who finally arrived back in town after several years.

"Do I have to...?" Lymle complained. "I just arrived back home. I wanna see the rest of the town, 'kay?"

"You will, after this," Eleyna reassured her. Within a few minutes, she told Lymle, "Okay, now."

"Ah..." Mere milliseconds after Lymle opened her eyes, the whole scene burst into chaos - the positive kind.

"SURPRIIIIIIIIIISE!"

Popping out from behind the furniture in the living room were Lymle's friends - Meracle Chamlotte, Sarah Jerand, Bacchus Dexley and his wife Freesia, Crowe F. Almedio, Myuria Tionysus, Welch Vineyard, and Faize Sheifa Beleth, popping small cones full of confetti. All of them precious friends she missed dearly during her time away at college.

_Oh, that's why... _Lymle pondered. _This is a graduation party!_

"Hey... wait," Lymle murmured. "Where's..."

"Geez, he has to be a spoilsport, huh..." Crowe grumbled. Nudging a space behind the sofa he popped out of with his knee, Arumat P. Thanatos emerged shortly after with a silly party hat and party blower in his mouth, blowing into said blower which made a honking noise. Pulling the blower out of his mouth, he complained, "You _know _I hate parties, guys."

"But Lymle just graduated from college," Sarah told him. "Don't you want to see how far she's come? Aren't you proud of her?"

"Of course I'm proud of her..." Arumat conceded, still sounding a bit grumbly. "It's just... festivities and I don't really go together. The whole socializing thing... it just isn't for me."

"That's alright," Sarah reassured him. "I'm pretty shy around crowds myself." Glancing at the buffet table with a plethora of food, she suggested, "Want to grab a bite? The chips and salsa look appetizing."

"Sure, why not," Arumat shrugged as he and Sarah headed off in the direction of the food.

"Wait... two more are missing..." Lymle murmured, looking down in a somewhat dismayed manner.

"Oh, Edge and Reimi?" Crowe asked. "They just got engaged and are traveling the world before the big day. I'll give 'em a call after this, it's currently 6:30 AM where they're at, but within a few hours they should be available to FaceTime."

Immediately afterward, Meracle came running to Lymle. "Lyyyyyyyymmmmmm!" She joyously cried, hugging the friend she hadn't seen in three years tightly.

"I missed you too, Meracle," Lymle cooed, hugging her friend back.

"You're not calling me Merry anymore?" Meracle chucked.

"I mean, if you still want me to, I can," Lymle replied.

"No, that's alright," Meracle dissuaded her friend. Taking a few moments to notice how much her friend changed over the years, she commented, "Oh my gosh! I love what you've done with your hair!"

"Oh..." Playing with her now short hair, she smiled and answered Meracle, "Yeah, I thought it would be nice to cut my hair for a while, 'kay? My roommate, Amina, suggested I cut it short. I was getting tired of long hair anyway..."

"It's a good look," Faize spoke up.

"Ah?!" Startled, Lymle looked in the direction of the voice and saw Faize, her best friend she knew since she was 15. Even though she was three years younger than him, she had a bit of a crush on him since she was 17, but never saw it right to tell him just yet. Perhaps the most painful thing she experienced was when she headed off to college, having to say goodbye to him and everyone else, not knowing if they'd be still here waiting for her when she returned.

Thank God they still were. And he looked so handsome now, his hair growing slightly longer, his physique slightly more toned ever since he started working out a bit, and some slight green stubble on his chin.

"Faize...?" Lymle asked, blushing.

"Hahaha, I can tell you're happy to see me after all this time," Faize chuckled. Running his fingers through her hair playfully, he commented, "You've grown into a remarkable young woman, Lymle."

"T-thank you, Faize..." Lymle backed away, blushing and covering her face with her hands.

"Hahaha," both Faize and Meracle laughed. "And I can't believe you graduated with a degree in archaeology in only _three years_!"

"It's cuz I'm a genius, 'kay?" Lymle boasted. "I like learning about history and stuff!"

"That you do," Faize acknowledged her with a soft smile. "Tomorrow, why don't the two of us catch up over coffee? The subject of your degree sounds interesting. Maybe even tell me what else you did over there!"

"Coffee...?" Lymle wondered, a dreamy look in her eyes. "Like... a date?"

"I mean, if you want it to be!" Faize laughed.

"H-Hey!" Lymle puffed her cheeks in an irritated manner. "I don't appreciate being teased like this, dummy! 'Kay?"

"Oh, young love," Crowe chuckled. "I remember Eleyna and I had similar exchanges before we got married..."

"You two are married?" Lymle questioned.

"Indeed," Eleyna confirmed, hugging her husband from behind. "And Crowe's totally exaggerating. Our interactions were nowhere near those of yourself and Faize. I most certainly did enjoy teasing him, though, by noticing every little detail of his behaviors and pointing them out... and other ways, as well~"

"Eleynaaaa..." Crowe grumbled, his face turning beet red. "Not here..."

"Sorry," Eleyna giggled coquettishly as she released her husband from her embrace with a subtly seductive wink.

After Faize and Lymle giggled at the married couple's interactions, Lymle answered Faize, "But to be honest... sure. That would be nice. I'd even like to see how much the city has changed while I was away, 'kay?"

"Of course," Faize nodded, affectionately placing a hand on Lymle's shoulder. "But for now, let's enjoy the festivities. Everyone's missed you as much as you've missed them. And of course, don't forget the FaceTime with Edge and Reimi later, and the cake!"

"Caaaake...?" Lymle's eyes went wide as she started drooling.

"Hahaha, you love your desserts don't you?" Faize teased her, prompting a glare from her before she smiled.

"Oh... and congratulations. I'm proud of you, Lymle Phi. I knew you could do it."

"...Thanks, Faize. It's good to be home."

_**Fin**_

* * *

**Like I said, I think this is the year I return to fandom in general. For over a decade, a had an AMV of SO4 set to Tommy Heavenly6's Ash Like Snow. I hope to finish that soon, too. Maybe I'll even stream this game on Twitch /shameless plug.**

**Speaking of shameless plugs, check out Star Ocean Universe, a Discord server for Star Ocean fans, run by me! The invite ID is P8V53kD.**

**Lastly I wanna dedicate this to the Star Ocean fans I haven't necessarily drifted from or alienated, but who I haven't spoken to in so long, and I'm sorry and y'all deserve more from me and I miss you guys. Icycake, Mei, Ini, Bain, Manou, Gi1t, a couple more whose names escape me right now... and most of all, Hiki. You've all made me so happy, and I miss you all. Especially you, Hiki. I hope you're doing ok and I hope to hear from you soon.  
**


End file.
